[Prescription of antibiotics for the prevention of bacterial endocarditis by dentists in the Netherlands].

In 1993 a representative sample of dental practitioners in the Netherlands was questioned on the use of antibiotics for the prevention of endocarditis in the previous year. Most of the responding dentists (67%) reported prescription of antibiotics for patients at risk. Some of them prescribed an antibiotic regimen that differed from the guidelines drawn up by the Dutch Heart Foundation. In 1992 only 47% of the responding dentists prescribed antibiotics for the prevention of endocarditis entirely according to these guidelines.